Free Speech
The press have always had a key role to play in the maintenance of democracy. They have free speech rights which are protected by the courts - in particular they have the right to protect their sources – which other people aren’t afforded. However, there’s a view that this power brings responsibility, and that responsibility is to hold the rich and the powerful to account.
Yet financial journalists have, with a few exceptions, been conspicuous by their absence when the great financial scandals of the twenty first century have unfolded. Indeed they’ve often been implicated in the issues, egging on investors with hyped up stories of superpowered CEOs and overly optimistic forecasts. And, frankly, if financial journalists aren’t able or willing to exercise their duties, should we continue to allow them the rights to do so?
